Pre-World Champs and TRIPLE anniversary

It will be a big weekend in Seefeld. Not only are the Tyroleans hosting the fifth anniversary edition of the Nordic Combined TRIPLE this year, the event will also be a pre-World Championship test run together with the FIS Cross-Country Skiing World Cup.

Next to new facilities and the brand-new World Championship cross-country track that will be in use for the Seefeld 2019 championships, the setup of the weekend will be the same as in the previous four editions: a one jump, 5 km event starts off the TRIPLE on Friday, the best 50 athletes advance to a 1 jump, 10 km event on Saturday and the best 30 athletes will compete in a 2 jump, 15 km final on Sunday. Each day, the athletes take their points with them.

The big question is if serial winner Eric Frenzel, who has won all past four editions of the TRIPLE plus two more World Cups in the pre-TRIPLE era in 2013, can return strong in what he calls “his living room”. So far in the season, the German superstar has struggled with his jumping shape and is currently only ranked eighth in the World Cup standings.

In an ideal world, Frenzel would use his favourite venue to gain confidence and stability in his performances, as he said in Sunday’s press conference in Chaux-Neuve: “For me personally, I hope things will go a little better next week in Seefeld. I know that it is a very good place for me. The motto is now to keep working on the jumping part and get a certain lightness and flow back. There still is sufficient time until PyeongChang to get into a really good shape.”

While ruling supreme in the first three editions of the TRIPLE and winning the event with a triple TRIPLE (winning all three events of each edition) Frenzel dropped the and had to concede defeat to teammate Johannes Rydzek in the first two competitions last year.

While Rydzek looks a little stronger than Frenzel this year, it is mainly Norwegian World Cup leader Jan Schmid, who is boosted by back-to-back victories in Val di Fiemme and Chaux-Neuve, that Frenzel has to fear. On top of things, the short 5 km event seems tailor-made for strong jumpers like Norwegian Jarl Riiber. But so far, nobody ever did a 2-jump, 15 km race just like Frenzel and so the sequel of the TRIPLE story seems truly open.

The program

Thursday, 25.01.2018

10.00 Uhr: Official training HS 109

12.30 Uhr: Provisional Competition Round HS 109

15.30 – 17.00 Uhr: Official training cross-country

Friday, 26.01.2018

12.30: Trial Round HS 109

14.00: INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN Competition Round HS 109

16.10: INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN 5 km cross-country race

Saturday, 27.01.2018

09.30: Trial Round HS 109

10.45: INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN Competition Round HS 109

15.45: INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN 10 km cross-country race

Sunday, 28.01.2018

11.45: Trial Round HS 109

12.30: INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN 2 Competition Rounds HS 109

15.30: INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN 15 km cross-country race

Subject to change!

Quick Facts:

HILL

Toni-Seelos-Schanze

HS 109

TRACK

Casino Arena

2,5 km free-technique loop

Total climb: 90 metres

Maximum climb: 38 metres

Height Difference: 39 metres

LAST YEAR’S PODIUM

IG 5 km: 1. Johannes Rydzek (GER), 2. Eric Frenzel (GER), 3. Samuel Costa (ITA)

IG 10 km: 1. Johannes Rydzek (GER), 2. Eric Frenzel (GER), 3. Samuel Costa (ITA).

IG 15 km: 1. Eric Frenzel (GER), 2. Johannes Rydzek (GER), 3. Bernhard Gruber (AUT)